This invention relates generally to devices for securing elongate items, such as wires, cables, hoses, tubing, conduits etc. More particularly, the invention relates to clamp ties that secure such items in spaced, parallel relationship with each other or in spaced, non-parallel relationship with each other.
Various devices have been developed for securing elongate items such as wires, cables, hoses, tubing, conduits, etc. Among these devices are clamps that secure a pair of such items in spaced, parallel relationship with each other. Examples of such clamps are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,654,669 and 3,981,048.
Although effective in securing elongate items to each other, neither of the devices shown in these patents made provision for securing the items not only to themselves but to a supporting structure as well. Such need arises, for example, in the trucking, automotive or other industry wherein a pair of hoses, lines or cables are to be spaced from each other and can be mounted to a vehicle frame member. Furthermore, prior devices did not include structure for maintaining a definite, preselected spacing between the items that were secured to each other. Such devices were ineffective in maintaining a desired spacing sufficient to avoid chaffing, heat transfer electromagnetic field transfer or other adverse consequences of insufficient spacing. The devices simply secured the items together without regard for the resulting spacing.